THE PROVISIONAL IRA sent a message to the British government in 1978 that it was willing to enter talks on ending its campaign, according to a sensitive document released at the UK National Archives in London.
Files from the office of British prime minister James Callaghan describe an IRA message, "to the effect that it was time to talk and end the present violence".
The message is referred to in a letter to Northern Ireland secretary Roy Mason from Sir Brian Cubbon, permanent under-secretary at the Northern Ireland Office, who was a survivor of the IRA bomb attack in which British ambassador to Ireland Christopher Ewart-Biggs was killed on July 21st, 1976.
The letter, dated March 8th, 1978, explains how Martin Ennals, a leading figure in Amnesty International, had been contacted by an intermediary from the World Council of Churches.
He conveyed the information through his brother David who was then British secretary of state for social services and it was in turn passed on to British home secretary Merlyn Rees.
Cubbon believed that it was a "credible channel of approach by PIRA" and noted that Rev William Arlow, who had been instrumental in the Feakle talks which led to the truce of 1975, had more recently been in contact with the World Council of Churches about the condition of prisoners in the Maze Prison, Long Kesh. Cubbon believed that it was "credible that PIRA should start a fishing expedition of this sort now".
It was true that some republicans increasingly "see the campaign as a long haul". At the same time, "others may wish to use the present level of violence to demonstrate that PIRA are a force to be reckoned with and therefore in a strong bargaining position".
Cubbon insisted it was "essential that we should not say or do anything in reply that gives any hint that we have considered their message or are taking it seriously".
"What they might be looking for is some hint of a possible dialogue," he stated, recommending "that no further communication at all is made to Martin Ennals". Callaghan agreed that Ennals should be told "to forget it". There should be a "positive rejection of any offer" and "no inclination whatsoever that we were interested in this". Another document, released through the National Archives in Dublin, also indicates a willingness on the part of the Provisionals to engage in talks.
A secret intelligence assessment supplied to the government by the Defence Forces, dated February 15th, 1977, states that, "It is now known that feelers were sent out at Christmas by the top PIRA leadership to interest the British authorities in another long ceasefire."